In the 13-year period of 2005 through 2017, canines killed 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% (284) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Pets Aren't Safe Even IndoorsWailuku, HI - John Kyle was watching television in his living room Sunday morning when two dogs tore through a screen door. One dog took off, the other dog, a pit bull, viciously attacked Kyle's dog. "When the other dog grabbed her, blood just went everywhere. She was just getting jerked back and forth in the air," said Kyle.

Bunny, the family’s 7-pound longhaired miniature dachshund, was left bleeding from bites to her neck, while Kyle was bitten on his left forearm as he wrestled the 70-pound pit bull intruder to the floor. After prying open the dog's jaws from Bunny, Kyle had to lie down on the animal to keep it from continuing the attack.

The family is facing up to $1,500 in medical bills for Bunny. With a brace around her neck, a bandaged left leg and intravenous and catheter tubes, Bunny remained at the Central Maui Animal Clinic in Kahului on Monday. The dog that attacked her was being held at the Maui Humane Society, which hadn’t located its owner.

The dog was described as an intact female pit bull or pit-mix, blue with a white chest and cut ears. The dog had a collar but no tag and appeared to have had puppies recently. Jocelyn Bouchard, executive director of the Maui Humane Society, goes on to state a flat out lie that we will not repeat here -- we will dedicate an entire blog post to this.

Kyle described the dog that turned and ran out of the house as an adult white-and-gray chow-Laborador mix weighing 40 to 45 pounds. Once he saw the other dog had Bunny in its mouth, Kyle said he tried to pry open the larger dog’s mouth before punching the dog to get her to release Bunny. "I think she would have ate her. It was a very aggressive dog," Kyle said.

After the pit bull let go, Kyle held the large dog by its collar and managed to drag her into an outside shed. He estimated the attack lasted about 30 seconds. While police and animal control officers responded to the home, Kyle was driving Bunny to the clinic. He said Bunny was dying in his arms, and that he doesn't understand why that dog was running around.

Animal control officers checked the neighborhood but didn’t find anyone who recognized the pit bull. Bouchard hopes the dog's owner will come forward.

Please donate to support our work

DogsBite.org is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity organization. Learn more »